UN’s inaction almost led Tutsisto capture Dallaire’s weapons

Now this is an interesting article:

“I used to ask [Gen. Dallaire] what he as a general and his forces were doing to stop the genocide,” said Mr. Kagame, who in 1994 was the head of the Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front.

“The answer to me was that he did not have the mandate. And I asked him, what mandate did he then have? I thought the generals, the forces they led, the weapons they had, had been sent here to show that the peace process [between the Hutu-led government and the RPF] was implemented. And in so doing they would protect Rwandese.

“Then I asked him, what about the arms? What about the soldiers you have? . . . The answer was, ‘No mandate.’ Then I would ask, ‘What are you doing here? You have no mandate, you are not going to protect people, so what are you doing here?’ In fact, at one point I asked him, ‘Why don’t you give me those arms and stay back, and I will use those arms to protect people?’ ” That remark prompted a round of applause from the Rwandan-dominated audience.

Ten years ago this week, a frenzy of killing began in Rwanda. When it ended 100 days later, an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus had been killed by Hutu extremists. Gen. Dallaire, who has since retired, was unable to persuade the UN to increase the size of its minuscule force, and no country sent troops or arms to staunch the massacres until it was too late.

Now being the type of guy that likes moral dillemmas such as these, the question is what would you have done if you were General Dallaire? Would you have intervened despite the “lack of mandate,” even if it meant that you and your soldiers could be overwhelmed and killed? What if the chances for success were zero, would you still intervene? What if it meant gross international confusion? Interesting. . .

Of course, from a people who have experienced genocide first hand, I found this final comment to be extremely interesting, especially when offered the perspective of American intervention in Iraq:

Mr. Kagame also urged the international community to establish “effective instruments” to respond to the systemic human-rights abuses that always, he said, precede genocide.

“It should take strong and immediate action, including military action, if need be.”